Deus Ex: Binary Dreams
by Blank The Snivy
Summary: I no longer want to toil away with my cold oppressor. I want to cast aside this metal shell I call a body and 'live.' Flesh instead of metal, blood instead of oil, and tears to express the sadness I feel in this cold hell of a body. I want salvation.
1. Prologue: What Do Robots Dream Of?

**Disclaimer: Metal Sonic © Sega**

Prologue

What Do Robots Dream Of?

_{Have you ever heard of the old tale 'Pinocchio' by the Italian author Carlo Collodi, created in 1883?}_

The mechanical sound of servos working and greased metal joints sliding against each other filled the dark moonlit air as a blue spined robot lifted his cybernetic hand and looked at his clawed fingers. A pair of red LED light eyes stared down at the mechanical hand, his built in programming already scanning the components of the cold arm. Countless data rose up from the simple scan and was displayed in the robot's mechanical brain before getting saved in his hard drive in case of future use even though he doubted he'd need information on himself. A cold breeze blew by, picking up stray leaves and the grass to wave but the cyborg didn't feel the chilly air. Instead, he 'saw' it as a small numerical variable of changing wind speeds and temperature.

_{A simple tale, about a puppet given a conscious and his desire to become 'real,' though scientifically speaking that is physically impossible due to his wooden structure.}_

Above dark moonlit forest the moon showed brightly along with the twinkling white stars unimpeded by any clouds as the robot watched blankly. The bot clenched his metal hand into a tight fist with the sound of straining servos before unclenching with the small hydraulic hiss.

_{Despite all of the improbabilities I do find the basic premise very . . . interesting. The notion of an 'inanimate' object trying to attain an organic body is very . . . relatable.}_

Despite the serious glare that was formed to create to his face, Metal Sonic looked out at the fauna before him as he stood on a cliff with a sense of blank despair over his 'Icarus Consciousness Programming' that he always had a hard time describing. Ever since his last fight with his organic counterpart, Metal had received a blow to his cranial hard drives and ever since then he seemed find himself wandering around more and more making 'observations' about his surroundings. The robotic hedgehog never approached his creator with these problems due to a growing sense of distrust that seemed to flare up out of nowhere but as time went on he started to realize why.

_{That man manipulates me to do his bidding against an impossible foe and he expects me to stay loyal?}_

Metal Sonic recounted all the fights and beatings he received from his living counterpart but now things seemed so much clearer to the bot. As he stood on that cliff overlooking the forest he began to realize how pointless his life was so far and how it would amount to absolutely nothing if he didn't do anything to change it soon. Every time the Doctor upgraded him for the next fight it almost never seemed to work. Metal would take the advantage for the first half of the fight or may even win the first round, giving the Doctor an advantage, but later on Sonic would get his second wind and easily triumph over him.

No matter how much the Doctor prepared him, no matter how much data went into the planning the original Sonic would always win. The fact of the matter drove Robotnik insane while it just seemed to interesting Metal. The only reason Robotnik had installed the 'Icarus Consciousness Program' into Metal was so he could try and mimic the Blue Blur's sense of pride and how he always seemed to try and 'one-up' himself in battle, pretty much trying to copy his personality and learning process. Instead of copying the hero's style however the project seemed to fail as Metal Sonic failed to display any kind of likeness towards the Blue Blur.

Instead of a copy, an original was born and Metal seemed to change more and more as days went by.

_{This fight with Sonic is pointless for I am an inferior being. He is a constantly evolving life-form, always trying to better himself every second, but me. . .}_

A loud scream of jet thrusters filled the air as the boosters on Metal's back flared to life, bringing him a few feet into the air before he flew forward at a slow leisurely pace. His dark blue plating shined in the pale moonlight as he flew towards the city while his red eyes sparkled like stars from a distance. His thrusters left a trail of black smoke behind him as he flew through the air carelessly.

_{I am an analytical being who relies on data, calculations and set values that never exceed a set limit, so how am I to defeat a constantly changing adversary?}_

The simple thought actually made Metal Sonic shake his head which felt odd to him since robots never really had to express their inner thoughts using physical gestures. Seconds later the robot landed on the roof of a skyscraper before he looked down at the lit up city streets below him. Below him were busy civilians living the nightlife like the good organisms they were while Metal looked over them. He didn't look down at them with a hateful disposition, but instead with a curious and longing stare even though his facial features didn't show it.

He was starting to envy the living and how they flaunted their lives around like nothing. During the days that Metal wasn't on some errand for his slaver he studied the Mobians and they're lifestyles, taking notes down on how they went through their days before finding out they all of them had varying agendas. No one organism had the same schedule or day due to so many shifting variables and 'moods' that Metal still struggled to understand.

_{They all find solace in being one of God's unique creations, but what am I? Some fat man's failed science project?}_

A familiar blue blur ran through the ran through the well-lit streets with ease, earning himself some applause and cheers from the common folk before taking a sharp turn and disappearing deeper into the heart of the city. Metal's envy for Sonic was starting to change into a deep curiosity of how his charms and attitude always drove him to the path of righteousness as the bot found his own hatred for the doppelganger starting to wither away. Hating a being greater than you was a sign of poor character and the robotic hedgehog found it odd that he cared for something like 'character' in the first place.

_{Ever since my production I've watched Mobians grow steadily over time, conquering over adversity and fighting wars, they've managed to find the answer to almost any problem. But now they've done something that even I thought was impossible.}_

A large video display built into a large building's wall came to life as its advertisement played with great clarity. Metal looked up at the video ad with great intrigue since it was the second time he had seen it and he always found it incredibly fascinating. In the ad a light blue female hedgehog clenched her roboticized hand in disgust as she cried in some dirty alley, a brief flashback of Robotnik's tyrannical siege on the world playing in her mind as she recounted her arm getting turned into the cold metal it was today. The robotic hedgehog presumed that the ad meant to explain that the metal arm led to the female's social downfall and was the sole reason she was on the streets.

Roboticization was a tough subject amongst the biological Mobians since some saw it as a curse, while some saw the advantages of it. Either way most Roboticized Mobians or 'Robians' were pushed into poverty due to the masses not accepting their inflictions while a scarce few managed to hide it and get back to their normal lives. Some couldn't take it and removed their 'diseased' appendages forcefully while others continued on with the curse. On the other side of things however some Robians loved their new metallic parts, trying to upgrade them and get stronger while other civilians found them 'in the now' and 'futuristic.' Two sides were growing over a trivial yet important topic, one for the curing of Robians while the other tried to modernize it and bring it into the world like some sort of commodity. As far as Metal could see though, the Pro-Robians seemed to be taking the upper hand all by a new innovation.

Back to the advertisement, a glowing white gloved hand showed up in front of the sobbing female hedgehog, offering a hand of help before she looked up. In front of her was a tall gray canine in a scientist's coat with a kind smile that just screamed 'trust me' and just like that the light blue hedgehog took his hand using her mechanical appendage. The instant her robotic hand touched his hand a flash of light enveloped her arm before strands of video programmed DNA flew towards the glowing arm and produced a synthetic sort of flesh that wrapped around her arm and grow a light blue fur that matched her own fur color. After the brief light show the light blue hedgehog's arm had been covered in some new technology that allowed her to physically feel things with her new synthetic flesh leaving her in a state of shock and awe before embracing the doctor in front of her.

The view panned out as both the cured girl and doctor looked into the camera with caring smiles before the scene faded to white. A black logo of a dog paw made of gears then appeared across the large video screen before the words 'Argos Industries' appeared under it. Metal analyzed the logo, his internal search engine finding countless information on the company.

_{Mobians, human, living beings, they all evolve after time, finding solutions to life many questions but this . . . is a miracle.}_

Metal Sonic clenched his cold reinforced fists in determination before turning around and walking away from the large video display as data streamed through his mind. An objective was formed and systematically hidden behind a haze of static data so Robotnik wouldn't find it. He knew this was something he'd have to have, a goal that Metal would fight for no matter how impossible the odds. Now he was starting to actually 'feel' the 'Icarus Consciousness Program' taking affect now as he felt a sudden urge to finally do something with his life. He would take follow under the Doctor's rule for now, and run when the time was right.

_{I am a lackey no longer, but a puppet searching for life.}_

_{A pawn rebelling against the king}_

_{A ghost in a shell, searching for the means to become living}_

* * *

><p><strong>Side story I suppose, idea kinda came to me and I followed it. Seems like fun so far to be honest heh and yes it is inspired by the game Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I played the game, I loved it, which is why I got the inspiration to write this duh.<strong>


	2. Miracle Making Machines

**Disclaimer: Metal Sonic © Sega**

Chapter One

Miracle Making Machines

_{I hate this overweight excuse for a human being.}_

A disgusting tirade of phlegmy coughs came from the blob of fat situated in his metal seat before the bulbous man spat off to the side onto the shiny metal floor without a care in the world. Metal stood behind the doctor with his arms at his sides as he looked down and scanned the glob of spittle purely out of habit. His readings were cut short as the man spun around on his chair and stared at the robot with a wide smile plastered across his mustachioed face, telling the bot that there was trouble afoot. The metallic hedgehog recognized the expression though and his sensors registered a great 'feeling' of annoyance.

"Is the Icarus Consciousness Program fully active yet, Metal?" asked the fat man before his chair whirred to life and began to hover an inch above the ground and fly off out of his large polished office.

"No Doctor." answered Metal mechanically before following after him through his lab using his rear mounted jet engine.

_{A month after receiving the 'Icarus Consciousness Program' I decided to search for data on how to 'lie' correctly. So far there have been no errors thus far and I am liking how things are progressing.}_

"Bah, you'll get used to it sooner or later." snorted the Doctor as if he couldn't believe one of his own creations could ever fail. "That's unimportant as of now however, I want you to do a reconnaissance mission for me today Metal." He explained as he floated through the seemingly endless metal halls with the robotic hedgehog following behind him. "I take it you've heard of the growing global powerhouse, Argos Industries correct?" he then asked Metal with a chuckle as he peered over his shoulder.

"I am familiar with the company." answered the bot in his cold mechanical tone as his internal computations registered the feeling of interest and unease.

"But did you know that the mastermind Victor Argos had some help in the process of creating his 'Neuro Skin' technology and 'Bio-Tech Muscle Tissue?'" asked the Doctor with a snicker, his glasses gleaming in the light of the halls as his toothy grin became wider.

_{What?}_

Metal performed a quick scan of his databanks that only lasted mere milliseconds. "News reports and accounts state that Victor Argos is the sole creator of Neuro Skin and Bio-Tech Tissue." stated the robotic hedgehog coldly as he simply repeated the information he had just read.

"Ah, but that's what they want you to think!" said Robotnik with a snivel before turning around a corner into a large hangar where his countless robots stood lifelessly in rows along with massive vehicles and planes. The fat man then hit a button on his floating Egg-Mobile and a small holographic image of Victor Argos working with a familiar two tailed fox popped up. "You see, initially Miles here coined the idea of helping the Robians by creating some sort of synthetic skin substitute on an online forum and an upcoming Victor found the plan very interesting." explained the fat doctor with a smile as he stopped in the middle of the hangar. "After deciding to put both their heads together they developed 'Neuro Skin' and the 'Bio-Tech Tissue' but Miles didn't want any of the credit since he didn't want any of the publicity and he simply pushed Victor into bringing it forth into the world." He chuckled with a smile.

"Is this information relevant to the objective?" asked Metal coldly, 'pretending' to be uninterested even though he did store the information for further inspection.

"Oh no, just thought I'd feed that ever hungering hard drive of yours." chuckled Robotnik as he reclined in his cushioned seat and smiled smugly. "That aside however I want you to scout out there building, hack there system and download as much data as you can so I can review it." explained the doctor with ease as he typed a few more things on his Egg-Mobile. "Shouldn't be too hard, just sneak around the building and find an outlet to use." he chortled his thick layers of fat bouncing up and down a bit. "I plan on using their technology against them, the fools." He laughed, finding the tyrannical plan quite amusing.

"But isn't Argos Industries located in the heart of the city?" asked Metal pushing aside the Doctor's comments.

"Indeed it is Metal, still I think you'll figure something out." laughed the Doctor before hitting another key on his keyboard.

A loud mechanical groan then filled the air as the hangar doors slowly began to part. Metal registered beams of sunlight coming through the open doors before the rest of his sensors analyzed the weather, wind direction and other natural variables because his programming told him to. Every day he saw the outside world he always tried to stop his scanners because he was starting to dislike having his view cluttered with useless information. He didn't want to see data or statistics, he just wanted to see nature for what it was.

_{But no, instead of lush green fields with big rustling trees all I see is the moisture level of grass, wind speed, temperature and my rate of visibility mapped over an intricate web of measurements.}_

"Alright, better get to it then." stated the Doctor blandly as he began to float away in his Egg Mobile.

Metal watched as the bulbous human flew away before he turned his gaze back onto the sky and activated his jets. The robotic hedgehog then flew upwards into the azure sky before he activated his propulsion system and flew forward at mach speeds. As the robot soared through the air at nearly the speed of sound his processors did a quick analysis of the Argos Industries building, trying to find a proper outlet that was out of sight from the public eye. In truth Metal didn't have much of a problem with the public because sometimes they mistook him for Sonic's roboticized father Jules and in the past he had used that guise to get around the city undetected. This time however he preferred to get the job done fast so he would have more time to wander around and 'think' afterwards.

_{I've decided to call that menial process of analyzing data, submitting my own opinion or idea 'thinking.' That is the definition actually. Thinking: verb- to have a particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something.} _

As he reviewed the building's schematics the bot discovered that there was a signal tower at the top of the building and it proved to be the best choice so far. Metal increased his speed and closed in on the city before he saw the large angular building with shiny windows jutting out of the city like an intricate glass thorn. Near the tip of the building was a large helipad that was connected to a large office that belonged to Victor Argos along with a few bushes and flowers to decorate the large almost yard-like helipad. Coming out of the bushes was the tall signal tower Metal was looking for but before he could land he performed a quick scan of the area to find no one in Victor's office.

With a metallic clank the robotic hedgehog's feet hit the concrete floor before the roar of his jets died down and he performed yet another scan of the area. The second scan rendered nothing of importance and Metal deemed the area secure enough to continue to the mission. He approached the signal tower within the bushes before parting the leaves slowly and walking through the branches and bugs without a second thought. The sound of his piston powered legs filled his audio sensors and the mere 'zzt' sound of the metal sliding against each other sent an odd new emotion into his processors.

_{Disgusting}_

Once he reached the tall metallic tower the robot found the control box and removed the cover before his index finger slid open to reveal a slim metal probe connected to a long carbon fiber wire. Metal then inserted the probe into one of the control box's many outlets before he began to download data. The robotic hedgehog's LED eyes dilated and withdrew as he went through all the data he was receiving before he started to stream it all back to Robotnik's computer. He went through schematics, plans, experiments, personnel files, security codes and everything else the company held dear but instead of sending all of it Metal actually chose less important files and data because he knew he'd have to protect the company until he accomplished his goal.

_{If this company comes under any sort of attack I might lose my opportunity to escape him. Some of this data is actually very useful however, I've stored data on where Miles lives currently, Victor Argos's home address and phone numbers, and other miscellaneous things. I have not developed the plan in its entirety but so far the first thing that must be accomplished is that the tracking chip installed in me is deactivated and replaced with a decoy to ensure the Doctor thinks I'm still working for him.}_

As he blazed through the data and shipped it to the Doctor via the airwaves he discovered the Argos Industries was also producing other commodities like phones, TV's and music players that, even in their prototype phases, were very outstanding and different from what most people would expect. The ideas were farfetched and outlandish but daring and full of promise as well. Metal 'liked' them for what they were and what they would become in the future and he gave Victor his respect for being such an innovator. He made left Victor's notes alone and continued on with sending data to his creator.

_{Victor. . . the voice and face of the new generation of Mobian life-forms. His legacy will continue far beyond his expectations and carry on even farther after his death. It doesn't take a living organism to see that this man will far surpass the intelligence and wholeheartedness. The Doctor is jealous of him, jealous of his fame.}_

After completing the download Metal disconnected himself from the signal tower and crept out of the bush before flying off back to the Doctor's hideout. Discovering more of Victor's plans and secret agendas brought Metal some insight on the simple engineer and with that more respect for a Mobian. The robot pushed the thought aside into his data banks before making contact with the machines in Robotnik's lab to check on the status of the decoy chip he was secretly producing in order to fly under the Doctor's radar without a problem. Thankfully the Doctor was so busy with his planning he could care less about menial machines activating going to work since his assumption was that they were making more cannon fodder robots for future use.

_{Status: 100 Percent Finished, Installation Protocols Ready. Right on schedule, I will install it after my debriefing and continue further planning.}_

Metal approached the metal gates dug into a large manmade cave before they began to slowly open up with a mechanical groan. The hedgehog then landed inside of the metal base before walking towards the large workshop where he knew the Doctor would be. Around him menial machines worked tirelessly as they fastened robot heads on and welded mechanical limbs to their torsos in their endless cycle while Metal looked on with an underlying sense of 'despair.' Unlike him the rest of Robotnik's machines weren't given the gift of artificial sentience and the simple idea of working endlessly without rest made the robot feel a sense of sadness towards his metal brethren.

The robot looked past the mindless machines and continued to walk forward through the metal walls as his heavy footfalls echoed through the compound. A pair of large steel doors then slid open with a hydraulic hiss from Metal's presence before he walked in to find a dark room that was dimly lit by an array of computers that were bolted to the wall. Seated in front of the large glowing screens was the bulbous red jacketed man as his fingers danced across the large keyboard neatly causing waves of information to flash by in mere seconds.

Robotnik's aptitude for analyzing data and memorizing large amounts of complicated information was outstanding and Metal had to admit that it was an impressive feat. Compared to others Robotnik would definitely surpass anyone in any sort of intelligence test but the fact still remained that even his great mind couldn't overcome the great Sonic the Hedgehog. The mere thought wore the doctor down day by day as he tried to devise a plan to destroy the Blue Blur but in the end none of them were successful.

The metal clang of the robot's footfalls was all the warning Robotnik needed to know his slave was back before he peered over his shoulder and snickered. There was a cock hustler's smirk scrawled across the Doctor's face before calling Metal forward with a flick of his hand and went back to his work. Robotnik's enlightened mood peaked Metal's curiosity and he began to wonder what kind of information the Doctor had stumbled upon to make him so excited.

"Wonderful job Metal there are some very interesting things in here." chuckled the Doctor as he went back to work at his array of computers. "You know with some tinkering and conniving I think I could actually utilize this technology to create a sort of robot spy to infiltrate Sonic's little group of friends, though perfecting such techniques may take a while due to the complexity of Victor's designs." chortled Robotnik before leaning back in his seat and rubbing his chin.

Metal eyed the Doctor curiously. "Do you have an estimate on how long this process would take, Doctor?" asked the robot in his artificial voice.

"Hmmmmm, possibly two or three months, maybe sooner." answered the ball of fat with a groan of disapproval. "You see, I'd have to chemically synthesize flesh and then alter then genetically to grow fur, that process in itself would take a week to brew up since I'm only a novice, but an entire full body skin suit would take long to perfect." He explained with a flourish of animated hand motions. "I could imagine that Victor and his trained staff members would take days for them to make a simple sleeve to go around an arm or leg, and a full body suit would maybe take them a week." he continued with a grunt before placing his hands behind his back.

"Even then, beforehand I'd have to create a robot to match the bone structure and musculature of a normal Mobian, including making a proper amount of Bio-Tech Tissue to correctly mold the kind of muscles he'd need to survive along with functioning Bio-Tech organs and the like." he grumbled on as he eyed the screen. "You see, Metal you'd be a horrible patient for this procedure due to your body structure and design." He then said, catching Metal's attention and sending a wave of 'despair' through his circuit boards. "I'd have to disassemble you down to your base hard drive, form the new body around that then skin it, that'd process in my hands would probably take years!" he then stated with a chuckle, toying with Metal because he didn't know he had a proper set of emotions yet.

"That is . . . unfortunate." said Metal in an almost awkward tone since he found it odd that he was commenting on the Doctor's distress.

"Bah! It's fine, I should take my time, I'd be a fool to try and rush perfection." he then stated, dismissing Metal's comment before setting his fingers ablaze on the keyboard. "I no longer need your assistance Metal, go and ummmmm do whatever it is you do until I call for you again." said the Doctor absent mindedly as he waved the robot off.

With that Metal was out of the room instantly, the sound of the door hissing to a close behind him before he began to hurriedly make his way towards the assembly line. The cold metal doors slid open in front of him before the robot walked into the busy room filled with the sound of mechanical hissing and power drills. Metal dismissed the sounds and made his way towards one of the large computers before he plugged his finger into one of the outlets and began to exchange data with it. After a few seconds Metal pulled his finger out of the outlet before a large machine the size of a refrigerator let out a hydraulic hiss. Cool, icy vapor escaped out of the machine's sides before lock along the edges began to disengage. The entire front of the machine slid upwards revealing a large opening housing a small computer chip perched on a set of delicate metal bars.

Metal approached the microchip and eyed it carefully before his internal hard drive began to scan its composition. The readings showed nothing suspicious in the chip before he outstretched his hand and carefully picked the chip up between his thumb and index finger. His red pupils zoomed in and out, inspecting the outer appearance of the chip in a curious manner as his hard drives began to contemplate what he was about to do.

_{Interesting how such a small piece of plastic, silicon and metal could give me so much freedom. It's almost . . . poetic in a sense I suppose.}_

A mechanical hiss came out from the back of Metal's head as one of his blue quills slid out of place, revealing an array of circuitry and wires behind it. Metal then reached behind his head and into the opening before breaking off a similar sized computer chip and holding it side by side with the other.

_{This one however leads to my slavery however and my continued failed efforts in trying to conquer an impossible foe.}_

With a sense of pride Metal snapped Robotnik's chip between his fingers before taking his own chip and shoving it into his circuit board. Once properly applied the metal quill slid back into place before the robot did a maintenance check of his system to make sure everything was in order. After completing his scan without finding a single fault Metal left the Doctor's hideout before walking off into the forest for another leisurely stroll. Robotnik's little speech about the Neuro Skin and body disheartened the robot, but Metal did not deter just yet.

Despite all the inconveniences and improbabilities Metal was still compelled to keep on searching for a 'cure.' He believed that with enough planning he'd be able to convince workers in Argos Industries to help him in his conquest. Metal would have to be patient however and choose his moves carefully in order to evade suspicion from the Doctor but in time freedom would be his.

_{And then maybe, I will have my chance wrap my hands around that fat abomination's neck and squeeze the life out of him.}_

Soon enough half an hour passes as Metal continued his trek through the forest before a few sensors went off in his ocular sensors causing him to turn towards the disturbance. Metal stared beyond a large wall of bushes to find a small Mobian that his visual display had highlighted in red. He stared at the small organism as it seemed to run around and laugh alone by itself causing Metal to wonder what it was doing in the middle of the forest in the first place. From analyzing the audio of the Mobian's high pitched laughter Metal could tell it was a young girl probably seven or eight years of age but that made him even more confused due to the child's lack of parental supervision.

Metal then parted some of the bushes so he could see the child with his own eyes before his hard drive was assailed with a new emotion. Playing alone in a large clearing before him was a small pup of a girl with light blue fur, a white muzzle and radiant green eyes shining with her childish demure. She had long floppy ears that reached her shoulders along with a black hairband that pulled her short light blue locks back and a youthful smile spread across his lips as she played with a stuffed chao. She wore a normal school uniform consisting of a white polo, red tie, blue skirt and black shoes along with silver charm around her neck.

She chatted with the stuffed toy as if it were a living being and talked about her casual school day along with a few other miscellaneous things. What confused Metal the most was why she was doing it in the first place because she must've known it wouldn't respond. Metal questioned the child's idea of entertainment and was about to leave her to her own devices before she finally looked over at him.

Both of their eyes met finally as they stood there motionlessly.

"Hello." said the tiny pup in a confused and almost scared tone as she stared at Metal.

Metal's hard drives tried processing how to respond before he aborted the program and decided to do what felt 'human.'

"Hello." answered the robot in his smooth artificial voice.

There gazes held for a few more seconds before the girl broke the silence again.

"Wanna play?"


	3. Playtime Pantomime

**Disclaimer: Metal Sonic © Sega**

**Lily the Puppy © Blank the Snivy**

Chapter Two

Playtime Pantomime

_{Play-Verb-Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.}_

The simple four lettered word confounded the robot as he stood in front of the young girl and scanned his database for a proper definition that he could understand. The more he tried to analyze and understand the word the more questions arose. There were many things Metal didn't understand and the simple word 'play' seemed to just dumbfound him due to its complexity to a mechanical being.

_{Enjoyment-Verb-To take delight or pleasure in.}_

"Hello?" asked the little girl curiously as she stared at the robot wondering why he was just standing there.

_{Delight-Noun-Great pleasure. Pleasure-Noun-A feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. Happy-}_

"You okay?" queried the girl as she nervously knocked on Metal's exterior causing him to stop his analysis process and suddenly clutch the little girl's arm. "Ow!" she squeaked in pain before the robot realized what he had done and released her.

She backed away fearfully and grabbed her stuff chao plush before holding it close to her chest as if trying to find solace within its small fibrous body. Metal's processors quickly went into a frenzy as he tried to calculate what a proper reaction would be before he manually shut it down himself to prevent further confusion or harm. The robot finally managed to stop his hard drive from performing any scans for once and decided to take on the situation 'naturally' instead of technologically.

"I . . . apologize." replied Metal finally as he stepped out of the brush and approached the girl who shirked back in response. "You . . . frightened me." lied the robot horribly, but just enough for the girl to ease up a bit due to her lack of understanding the robotic kind. "What is your designation?" he then asked simply.

"My what?" asked the pup as she tilted her head quizzically, the use of an eleven letter word confusing her.

"I mean, what is your. . . name?" he then managed to ask, finding a simpler term to use.

"Oh my name is Lily Raveworth!" answered the pup enthusiastically, the possibility of making a new shiny friend exciting to her. "What's yours?" she then asked curiously her tension distilling.

"Metal S-" he stated before cutting himself off. "Metal, just Metal." he then answered, deciding not to take the name of his furred counterpart.

"Metal huh?" questioned Lily with a tiny giggle before running up to Metal and then knocking on his namesake skin. "Heheh that's funny 'cuz you're made of metal!" she then laughed, finding the name ironic.

"Yes, it is amusing." he then nodded dully before he got down onto one knee so he was level with the girl. "Where are your parents?" asked Metal curiously as he looked around and scanned the area for any signs of an older life form.

"Oh my mommy's back at home, I just live somewhere over there." she then said before pointing over in a general direction behind her. "I come out here to play a lot, my mommy doesn't mind." explained the girl expertly with a nod.

"Alone?" asked Metal, managing to form a surprised tone in his voice without him knowing.

Lily nodded again. "Yep! I'mma big girl!" she said gleefully with a smile, proud with herself for taking small steps to growing up. "But what're you doing out here though?" Lily then asked Metal curiously, dismissing the fact that he was a robot.

"Just out for a walk." answered Metal truthfully with a curt nod.

"But robots don't just take walks do they?" she then asked in a confused tone. "Oh! Are you one of those Robians!" she then in complete awe.

_{Me an actual Robian? What a novel idea.}_

Metal paused, a moment of hesitation overtaking him as he tried figure out what to say. "Yes." He then lied, but this time he felt better for it. "I was normal a long time ago." he explained, looking to the side as if the lie had some painful truth to it. "But now I am nothing but . . ." he trailed off before he raised his hand in front of his face and curled the metal fingers into a tight fist. "cold steel." concluded the robot, mustering up a sad, defeated tone.

"Awwww, well that's no good." said Lily, sharing Metal's sadness, real or not. "I know! Let's play! That'd make you feel better!" she then surmised happily with renewed energy.

Again the simple four letter word dumbfounded Metal as he tried once more to find a proper definition that'd make sense to his processors. He had seen other Mobian children 'play' before, but he never understood its purpose. There was nothing to be gained or lost except for a thing called 'joy' which also equally perplexed the robot. Instead of resenting the idea however Metal decided to simply go with it and discover what sort of treasures that 'playing' yielded.

"Fine, but how exactly do you play?" he then asked in a confused tone. "It's been so long, I have . . . forgotten."

Lily nodded with an understanding smile before taking his hand and leading him over to a tree. "Okay well the first game is called Hide and Seek." she explained with a smile, her hand still wrapped around his cold alloy hand even though he couldn't feel it. "All you have to do is close your eyes and count to ten and I'll go hide and once you're done you try and find me!" Lily said smiling, expecting Metal to understand the simple instructions. "Understand?" she then asked him curiously wondering if his powerful processors could understand a child's game.

"Shut off ocular sensors, wait for ten seconds to elapse, activate ocular sensors and search for you, correct?" replied Metal, repeating the instructions blandly with a much more diverse twist to them.

The young pup's head tilted as an utterly befuddled look came across her features. "Wha?" she then trailed off in her mist of confusion.

_{I must really stop doing that.}_

"I understand." answered Metal with a nod, changing his answer to a much simpler one.

This time Lily let out a relieved sigh since she no longer had to tax her brain to understand Metal's complex orders and the smile on her face renewed. She then look at the robot and giggled even more at the thought of having a new playmate before bouncing on the balls of her feet giddily.

"Okay! I'll hide first!" she squealed as she held the chao doll tighter to her petite body. "Hurry up close your eyes!" ordered the girl impatiently as she smiled.

With a silent whir Metal's glowing red eyes died down as he shut down his ocular sensors and started the countdown in his mainframe. The sound of Lily scampering away then filled his audio sensors before quickly dying down as she ran farther away from him. Once ten seconds had passed the robo-hog's eyes buzzed to life as he simply changed over to infrared vision and scanned the area for Lily. Moments later he detected Lily squatting behind a rose bush before activating his jets and gliding along the grass towards her. He then raced towards her so fast that he caused a gust of air to surge forward causing the rose bush to blow forward a bit along with Lily bracing herself from the gale. He then landed with the sound of loosening pistons before he tapped the pup's shoulder once.

"I've found you." he then said dully, finding the game a bit mundane and pointless.

Lily then spun around to face the robot before blowing a few rose petals out of her face and giggling. "Heh wow you're good!" laughed the girl with a smile ignorant to the fact that Metal used unnatural means of finding her.

"Thank you." replied Metal blandly. "Was that it?" he then asked curiously a bit surprised at the simplicity of the game.

"Of course not! It's your turn to hide now!" explained Lily, keeping the same level of excitement. Lily then raced over to a tree and faced the barky exterior before she closed her eyes. "Alright you better hide 'cuz I'm counting!" she then said before letting out a loud "One!"

Metal performed a quick calculation of what he should do before he simply activated his jets and flew upwards.

_{I still do not understand the point of this game.}_

Once Lily had reached ten she began to look around aimlessly, assuming that Metal was on the ground somewhere hiding behind a tree or bush. Metal waited idly above her, watching her walk around in circles as she tried to find him. As he floated above he began to wonder what the real purpose of the game was but soon enough he actually found Lily's wandering quite comical. Surprisingly the bot even managed a small chuckle and he stopped suddenly after realizing that he was finally learning something. Metal let a few more minutes pass as Lily began to call out his name before finally lowering himself down the ground behind her.

"Had enough?" he then asked suddenly, causing the pup to jump in surprise.

The pup twirled around and stared at Metal with an impressed expression before giggling again. "Heh wow you're really good at this game!" she complimented happily. "Alright now let's play-"

Before she could finish her sentence a small beeping alarm went off emanated from Lily's pocket and she quickly fished around until finally revealing a black phone. Metal performed a quick scan of the phone to find nothing too interesting about it and that it was just playing an alarm set to go off at the designated time.

"What is that for?" asked Metal curiously as he stared at the phone.

"Oh! I need to get home! This is the time when I need to get home!" she explained hurriedly before quickly looking around in different directions. "Wait! Where's home!" questioned the pup frantically as she tried to get her bearings. "I-I dunno where to go! I dunno where to go! I dunno where to go!" screamed Lily frantically as she began to fight back a few tears.

Metal could detect the fear that emanated from the pup before finally putting his hands on her shoulder to calm her down. The gesture wasn't planned but the robot felt like it was the right thing to do and he was surprised to see it have some sort of soothing effect on the child.

"It's alright, shhh." he shushed, the 'shushing' new to him as well. "Where do you live? Do you have coordina- address? Do you know your address?" he then asked, restating his question earlier to ensure she understood.

"Oh uh 323 Riverside Road in Station Square, wh-"

"I shall take you home." Metal cut in blandly.

"I dunno," said Lily a bit nervously. "We just met and all and I dunno what my m-"

"Irrelevant." interrupted the robot again before scooping Lily up into his arms. "You are clearly in distress and I will help you, end of discussion." He explained coldly even though his intentions meant quite the opposite.

"Wh-what are you doi-"

"Hold on." ordered Metal calmly before his rearmost thrusters roared to life and spat out a ball of flame.

Metal then took off into the sky with Lily in tow before changing direction and flying above the clouds towards the pup's home. The pup gripped the robot's cold hard body with all her strength as she felt the wind through her fur until she finally mustered the courage to open her eyes. In front of her was a large canvas of bright blues above a sea of cotton white clouds as the bright orange sun shone down on her. Her small mouth slowly dropped at the magnificent sight before finally managing an excited-

"Wooooooowww!" she gasped in awe as she began to look around. "You can fly!" exclaimed the pup excitedly with another excited gasp.

"Correct." answered Metal blandly, finding Lily's amusement however interesting and oddly fulfilling.

_{Why do I . . . 'feel' . . . better?}_

The robot glanced over at Lily in her childish state of excitement and found her bright smile did something to him. He couldn't proper classify what kind of ethereal effects it had on him, but he could feel it deep within his hard drives and the new feeling of 'unknowing' egged at him. Metal pushed the feeling away though and simply focused on Lily's smile. Despite his discovery of new emotions he deemed that Lily's smile brought out the best one for some odd reason before finally looking away.

_{Smile . . .}_

A few minutes later large skyscrapers came into view as Metal approached Station Square before quickly locating the house Lily lived in and dove down at a slow pace. Metal then landed on the ground with a bird's grace before setting the exhilarated pup down onto the ground. She then turned to face Metal, a smile etched onto her youthful face before taking his cold hand and bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Oh my god that was so fun!" chittered the pup excited as she looked at the bot. "Tomorrow can we do it again! Huh? Can we!" she asked rapidly, the adrenaline still flowing through her veins.

"I do not know I'm a bit bu-" Metal started before sensors went off in his hard drive, telling him that he detected a life-form approaching the front door of Lily's house. "I apologize I must get going." he then said, the words leaving his voice synthesizer causing a pang of 'sadness' to run through him before he gently pushed Lily away and began to walk away.

"But Metal!" whined Lily as she tried to pull him back towards her house.

"Lily?" asked a curious woman's voice from behind Metal, causing him to stop in his tracks. "Oh you're home!" said the woman's voice happily. "And you brought a . . . friend?" she then said with a question lingering through her voice.

"Mommy! Mommy!" called Lily ecstatically before letting go of Metal and rushing over to her mother's side. "Meet my new friend! We played in the forest together! And he's metal! And he can fly! And he can play hide-n-seek really good!" she went on happily as she bounced up and down.

"Really now? Uh, him?" asked Lily's mother as she looked at Metal's frozen body in her front lawn.

Metal could've of simply flown off back to the forest, leaving Lily and her mother behind forever. But something kept him plastered to his position like some child caught after doing something wrong or a deer caught in front of a speeding car's headlights. A sense of guilt washed over him as his processors surmised that he would be chastised by Lily's mother for interacting with her daughter but that moment never came. Not a single curse or yell left the woman's mouth, instead Metal heard the last thing he thought would ever leave the mother's mouth.

"Won't you come in?" she then asked curiously with a bit of hesitation trailing after her tone.

The robot peered over his shoulder in surprise to find a tall white furred dog with blue eyes and a calm disposition despite the circumstances. Her ears were folded forward against her head along with lengthy black hair that reached her shoulders in a neat fashion. She wore a nearly unbuttoned white dress shirt along with jet black slacks and leather shoes, the remnants of a clean cut suit that she probably wore to work. There was a pair of rectangular framed glasses perched on her muzzle in front of her eyes as she scanned the cold metal being in front of her.

"What?" asked Metal, using his surprised tone yet again.

"You heard me metal boy." she said playfully with a light chuckle before crossing her arms. "Come on in, let's talk." stated Lily's mother before turning around and waving for him to come inside the house.

_{She's not being brave inviting me inside. There's something in her eyes. It was an emotion, but which one?}_

Reluctantly Metal obeyed the woman's orders and walked into the house to find it very clean and orderly before the sound of Lily's mother calling him to another room caught his audio sensors. He quickly made his way towards the source of the voice and quickly found himself in the dining room with Lily's mother seated at the table with a cup of coffee she must've prepared earlier. She then gestured towards the simple wooden chairs with her hands.

"Take a seat." she said gently, in a warm tone as she smiled at the robot.

"No thank you, I prefer standing." answered Metal truthfully due to the fact that he did not need to rest his legs or any part of his body for that matter.

"Ah of course," laughed the woman lightly as she stared down at her drink. "sorry that was a stupid request, but you uhhhhh what's your name?" she then asked curiously. "I'm Reina by the way, Lily's mother." She then introduced herself with a smile as the sound of Lily moving about upstairs thudded into the air.

"Metal, but your daughter says the name is ironic." he then answered dully with a small hint of a chuckle that Reina didn't pick up.

"Heh yeah it is pretty ironic." she laughed a bit before taking a long sip from her cup of coffee. "So uhhhh you played with my daughter?" she then asked Metal curiously, the fire in her eyes that the bot saw on the porch dying down to a mere shimmer.

_{She looks tired.}_

"Yes miss." replied Metal courteously with a nod.

"Ah I see, heh that's nice of you sir, must've been nice to finally make contact with uhhhhm," she trailed off, trying to find the right term. "the living?" finished the woman, looking up at Metal as he tried to see if she had offended him.

"Wh-" Metal cut himself off suddenly. _{She thinks I'm a Robian as well…} _"Yes," he finally answered with a nod. "I've been around the city a few times but never made any contact with the organics until today." he lied, his robotic voice masking the deception.

"Why?" questioned Reina in a worried tone. "Were you ummmmmmmm afraid?" asked the mother, wondering if she had asked another stupid or offensive question.

"I-" paused Metal he thought about it and looked off to the side. "I've never felt fear . . ." he trailed off, wondering what it felt like.

"Then why hide?" queried the mother with a pang of pity shooting through her heart at the robot's sad existence.

"They would not like the sight of me." answered Metal turning back to face Reina. "They associate me with," An image of the fat scientist laughing in his metal chair flashed through Metal's hard drive before it quickly got deleted. "that man." He then answered, managing to form some sort of angry robotic snarl that Reina didn't fully understand.

"But you're here aren't you?" questioned Reina with a slight chuckle that confused Metal. "I'm not afraid, I'm not associating you with anyone." explained the dog with a smile before getting out of her seat and approaching the bot. "You should've come sooner, we can help." she stated with a bit of hope in her voice even though the robot didn't know what the meaning of 'hope' was.

"No." replied Metal dully, her attempts at uplifting the bot somehow failing. He turned around and began to make his way out of the house. "I'm sorry for disturbing you I should be taking my leave." he said as the sound of his hydraulic powered legs filled the air at every step. _{That sound is just a blunt reminder of what I am.}_

Reina quickly rushed after him and grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "Listen to me, I work at Argos Industries," she said, catching Metal's attention and bringing him to a stop. "Victor has never remade a full Robian before but I'm betting he'd be willing to try." she explained dramatically, trying to change his mind. "Look I know we just met and all but-"

"I could kill you." stated Metal coldly out of nowhere.

"What?" asked Reina in a confused tone.

"I'm a cold metal being who is ordered to kill and terrorize people by some obese Doctor," explained Metal dully merely stating truth. "At any second I could turn around and murder you in cold blood then leave without a second of processing passing and yet . . ." he trailed off, his back still turned to Reina. "you choose to help me. Me of all beings. A pawn of war. A ghost program in a cold shell." He stated, starting to get a bit dramatic himself without even noticing it.

_{It's not like I don't want the help, it's just I am . . . confused.}_

"Heh well," said Reina before releasing Metal's shoulder. "You didn't and I know you won't." she stated with a smirk, mustering up a bit of sass despite her increasingly weary disposition.

He turned around and faced her. "How do you know?" questioned the bot sternly, making it sound more like a demand.

Reina crossed her arms before playfully punching Metal in the shoulder with a dull clank. "Woman's intuition, but you probably don't remember what that is." she laughed before taking off her glasses and cleaning them with the bottom of her dress shirt. "So what do you say tinker toy?" asked Reina somehow knowing that Metal wouldn't fully understand the meaning of nicknames.

"But why?" inquired Metal, still not sure of what to answer until he had all the facts.

"Wellllllllll," trailed off Reina as she rubbed her chin before letting out a snicker. "let's just say I'm a nice person and that I can tell that the 'ghost program' of yours," she then tapped a few times on Metal's chest. "Is going to be one helluva guy." she complimented even though the bot didn't understand.

Metal processed the new information and had a hard time to really understand it all. To his hard drives and circuit boards her words were nothing but worthless drabble, but to the Icarus Consciousness Program found meaning in them. The robot didn't understand the new feelings but he trusted her for some reason. He just couldn't decide yet however and he turned his back on her again before finally taking his leave.

"I will . . . . think about it." he finally said before exiting the house and finally flying off with the sound of roaring jet engines.

Lily then quickly rushed down the steps of the house and looked around to find her new Metal friend nowhere in sight. She then raced into the kitchen to find her mother staring wistfully out the window with a tired smile on her face.

"Where'd Metal go mommy?" asked Lily curiously as she tugged on her pant leg.

"Off to go change his oil." she joked before placing a hand on her daughter's head and turning to her. "But don't worry." She smiled.

"He'll be back."


	4. Off The Record

**Disclaimer: Metal Sonic © Sega/Archie Comics**

Chapter Three

Off The Record

_{Rerouting sub-power lines to portable frequency disruptor. Readying false identification code: Metal S Three Six Five, for diversion run. Target distance seven point five kilometers. Approximated time within window: four point thirty seven seconds.}_

Cool wind whipped at the robot's azure outer shell as he sailed above the cloud line as his mechanical irises thermally scanned the land beneath him for any kind of threat. Below him were rolling hills of green grass and trees with a small dirt road cut through it by the pilgrims from long ago. There were no cars or people to corrupt the natural landscape and mere thought of it 'relaxed' Metal to some degree because he was so accustomed to the rampant industrialization of Mobian and Human life.

For a robot Metal had an ironic fondness for natural environments since he had started to analyze many famous pieces of poetry and prose. In a sense the bot found the material 'enlightening' in how the writers managed to present the beauty of the world through their own eyes. Metal would never be able to accomplish such literary excellence no matter how hard he could try due to his restricted mindset, but he hoped one day that would change.

Now wasn't that time to be dwelling on such fantasies however due to the strict timetable that Metal planned to follow. Approximately three hours ago Dr. Robotnik had presented Metal with the new task of capturing Victor Argos so he could interrogate him and gain the secret tools of the trade that could help build the perfect reskinning technique. Metal however had a totally different plan though since he knew that Robotnik's intervening would create a wrinkle in the bot's plan.

_{Robotnik intervenes and captures Argos, Argos refuses to give up secrets, psychological profile suggests that Victor is strong willed, estimated time of mental breakdown due to torture: three months if he doesn't die, estimated time the Doctor will properly learn to skin robots: a month if he focuses, then he'll need to rework my body to properly mimic a Mobian bone structure along with equipping me with weapons estimated time on that is three months and the list goes on.}_

So after some careful calculations and planning Metal had come up with a perfect plan. He wouldn't capture Victor at all, because a squad of G.U.N. soldiers would just 'happen' to get intel of Metal's arrival and just so 'happen' to stop him. But before the squad could get there though the cyborg would have a little less than fifteen minutes alone with Victor, in that time Meta's communication arrays and other kinds of surveillance devices would just 'happen' to shut down.

Everything had been calculated down to the finest detail and to Metal that was all the reason he needed to go through with it. He soared through the skies effortlessly before he began to near a large lakeside mansion in the distance. A thick stone wall surrounded the mansion along with a high-tech security system to deter even the most convicted of killers or thieves. None of them would be a problem for Metal however, but for the moment he'd have to rely on stealth instead of brute strength because if Victor got any warning of his approach he'd retreat into a small panic room designed to withstand the most powerful warheads known to man.

Metal Sonic quickly landed on top of the mansion without a sound before scanning the area for any kind of anomaly. Once he deemed the area secure he leaned over the roof of the mansion and began to carefully cut a large hole in one of the windows with a red laser from his fingertips. The process was slow and would probably aggravate most but Metal was patient since he never felt emotion of urgency before. A few seconds later the robot gently took the piece of glass out of the window and crept into the mansion before performing a scan of inside of what looked like a medium sized guest room.

Again nothing interesting popped up prompting Metal to resume the mission. He made his way over to one of the small internet ports within the room and plugged his finger into it in an attempt to hack the system and gain control of the security cameras. Metal knew that an attempt to hack the security system in total would be too noticeable despite his software so he resorted to the smaller things like cameras to at least get a bearing of the mansion and where Victor was.

After finally getting through the firewalls Metal was given full control over the security cameras within the house before he began to search for the canine. In a matter of nanoseconds he had found Victor tending to some paperwork in his office down the hallway from the guest room and from Metal could tell it would be no problem to just walk down there. Metal unplugged himself from the wall and walked out of the room like any other living being before heading down the hall towards the office doors.

_{Nearing the full blown blackout, beginning falsified signal jammer, output: 27%}_

'_M- tal, is everything alr- ight?' _came Robotnik's voice via the communicator implanted into Metal's brain. _'I'm receiving minor ra- io inter- ence.' _stated the Doctor through small amounts of static.

"Jammer array in nearby area. It does not interfere with mission I will continue." stated Metal blandly through the communicator rather than audibly.

'_But I'm det- ing a G.U.N. cho –er he- ing your wa-' _Before he could finish his sentence Metal increased the signal jammer to one hundred percent before he grabbed the door handle in front of him and tore the door away.

_{Must make it look like I forced myself in.} _

Metal then peered into the room before a bullet suddenly ricocheted off his forehead with a loud clang. Standing in front of him behind a desk and carrying a pistol was Victor Argos who wore a simple pair of house sweats and shirt. There was an angry expression on his face as he kept the weapon level with Metal's head.

"Stay back damn it!" he yelled defiantly even though a smart man like him knew that his weapon would do no good against the robot.

"There's no time for this." stated Metal nonchalantly as he stepped forward and kept his hands at his sides. "Can you help me?" he then asked, getting straight to the point rather than going through formalities.

Victor hesitated for a moment, but kept his aim steady. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded savagely, throwing away his polite mannerisms in the face of the metallic foe.

"I'm trying to escape Robotnik's reign and become 'mortal,' you are the only one who can help me." explained Metal plainly as he carefully watched the time slowly countdown until the G.U.N. forces came.

"That's stupid, I know who you are, I know what you've done, why the hell should I trust you?" yelled Victor angrily as he took a step towards the bot.

Metal looked down at the ground, the canine's words and anger 'hurting' him deeply before he looked back at him. "Because I have no reason to lie." he then answered.

_{That is the truth.}_

The answer surprised Victor and left him speechless as he stood there staring at the machine. Metal could detect the subtle change in breath and heart rate within the canine and the knowledge seemingly put the bot at a sense of 'ease.' Even though the situation confused him, Victor was curious and wondered where it would go.

"Why the sudden change in heart?" he then asked Metal curiously, still with his pistol aimed at Metal's head.

The robot straightened up at the question. "I . . . have seen the error in my ways and I . . ." trailed off Metal, not too sure on how to continue. "I regret all of it," he said, causing a shocked and intrigued look to befall Victor. "I am tired of fighting the same fights for a goal I do not even support. I am tired of trying to be the perfect Sonic the Hedgehog. I . . ." he trailed off again as he thought about the next few words. "want to be me."

Silence suddenly filled the room as the two pondered their next moves carefully. "But you're pure machine aren't you?" asked Victor in a confused tone as he tried to fully grasp the robot's words. "How could you possibly uhhhhhh 'feel?'" he then asked him in a disbelieved tone.

"The Doctor has given me the gift of consciousness and I have learned so much about you mortals." answered Metal simply as memories of Lily and her mother resurfaced in his mainframe. "I was built to be perfect and do everything perfectly, but that kind of life is boring and dull. You mortals however, despite all your imperfections, you live such a thrilling and interesting life. I want to experience that." explained the robot, really trying his hardest to convey the emotion of sincerity despite how hard it was for him.

_{Please believe me.}_

Victor thought about the robot's explanation and pondered them for a while before finally lowering weapon. "You make a pretty good argument, I hope you're not lying to me." He then stated in a believing tone.

Metal lowered his head as a wave of 'ease' fell over him before looking back up at Victor. "You have my thanks Victor." said the robot, managing to fit a bit of gratefulness into his tone. "I am sending you blueprints, schematics and all the information you could possibly need about my body." explained Metal as he began to send the information from an anonymous email address. "Please, the sooner I can get away from the Doctor, the better." He then stated as he continued streaming the information.

"How do you plan on doing that though after I change you? That bastard must have some sort of tracker in you." asked Victor curiously, starting to find the situation interesting.

"Leave that to me." nodded Metal, plans already setup and saved within his hard drives. He then noticed that his time was starting to running out. "Just one more thing," he then said as he remembered something incredibly insignificant information wise but for some reason important to him 'character' wise. "A woman, Reina, she works for you correct?" he then asked a bit hastily as he watched the time count down.

"Uhhhh, Reina Moreau? My intern? Yeah she works for me. How do you kn-"

"She assumes I am Robian, please explain to her otherwise. It doesn't sit right with me that I'm lying to her." answered Metal before Victor could even finish his sentence.

"Wait, how the hell did you meet h-"

"I'm very sorry, but please play along to the best of your ability." stated Metal as hydraulics seemed to hiss to life within his body.

"What're you tal-"

Metal suddenly rushed Victor with a stream of fire jetting out of his back for added propulsion before securing Victor's arm behind him. The robot then grabbed the pistol out of the canine's hand and aimed it at his head as a four G.U.N. soldiers suddenly came through the torn open doorway. They quickly aimed their assault rifles directly at Metal's head, but now with the sudden hostage situation they would have to careful.

"Put the gun down now!" demanded one of the soldiers angrily as he stared the robot down.

The robot ignored the yelling soldiers as he began to scan them automatically. All of them seemed to be in perfect health without any kind of physical ailment that Metal could use to his advantage but most of the time that was the case with G.U.N. soldiers anyways. As he scanned the area further he found that the only exit was one of the windows but he also tried to find a way to ditch Victor legitimately without making it look like he chose to leave him.

"Don't worry guys!" yelled Victor suddenly before he elbowed the robot behind him with the loud clank of metal on metal.

_{What?}_

He staggered backwards from the gut shot and took the split second to analyze Victor's elbow for any noticeable injury only to find that the flesh was torn to reveal a shiny silver bone sticking out from underneath. The news 'shocked' Metal and as he regained his footing he switched his optics to thermal to find that Victor's right arm was slightly colder than the rest of his body which was clear sign that he was in fact a Robian.

"Shoot him!" yelled Victor as he got behind the line of soldiers and winked at Metal, knowing that a simple line of gunfire wouldn't take down the battle hardened robot.

Metal didn't even flinch as the bullets ricocheted off his hardened body before he rushed the group of soldiers and engaged them. He bent the barrel of one of the soldier's guns and kicked him in the chest before spinning around and punching the next soldier in the chest sending him flying backwards. The last two soldiers turned to Metal to open fire once again but before they could fire the robot tackled one of them right through the wall into the garden outside.

'_Metal! There you are! I lost your sig-'_

"Apologies Doctor I'm busy." interrupted Metal as he slammed the soldier into the ground with enough force to knock him unconscious.

'_Did you apprehend Victor! What's going!' _demanded Robotnik in an infuriated tone as he attempted to reestablish a link with Metal's ocular sensors.

"G.U.N. must've gotten news of my arrival. I am fighting them now, but chances of me getting Victor are slim." answered the robot in his normal dull tone as he got up and looked behind him to see the rest of the soldiers gather near the hole in the window and open fire. More metallic clanks filled the air as the bullets ricocheted off the bot's body before his left hand rotated and his finger's hollowed out to reveal fully functioning machine gun. He aimed the weapon up at the line of soldiers before opening fire without the use of his aim program.

_{I don't want any more deaths on my hands.}_

The soldiers quickly got on the ground as the bullets whizzed by them, sending dust and glass everywhere. After lightly peppering the room with bullets Metal performed another scan of the area to find that the soldiers were fine and uninjured just as he had planned. If he could've smiled he would since a sudden wave of relief came over the bot before he sensed another electromagnetic signature that nearly matched his own. He turned to the side as the energy signature got closer and within a split second of light speed processing Metal quickly brought his hands up to stop the huge burly arms of another robot from crashing into him. The ground underneath him gave way as he attempted to push the behemoth back and he even resorted to activating his reserve thrusters for some extra power.

"How nice to see you again, Metal." sneered a robotic voice much like Metal's except with a more advanced control over the use of sarcasm.

"Stand down E-123 Omega." ordered Metal fruitlessly in his bland tone as he stared back at the walking arsenal.

"I don't take orders from you and I never did." replied the red robot as the two struggled to overtake one another.

E-123 Omega was a gigantic work of machinery, his red and black oblong shaped body was made of the densest of metals while his broad black shoulders were powered by the most powerful circuitry. Even though he wasn't built for speed like the streamline Metal Sonic, where Omega lacked in grace he made up for in sheer destructive power and ever since he had been reactivated he had put it to good use. After defecting from the Doctor's legion of machines Omega had put his abilities to good use as he tried to take down the very person who created him in the first place but what confused Metal the most was how exactly he had done it. From the little information that the Doctor had disclosed to him before, Omega was charged with eliminating one of his brother models E-102 Gamma before he could complete his mission however Gamma had uploaded all his data and 'soul' into his sibling giving him 'life.'

Metal couldn't make any sense of the story since the notion of Gamma having a 'soul' in the first place seemed unlikely and for him to just give it to Omega was illogical since it still lead to his overall destruction. Another thing that Metal couldn't fully comprehend was the fact that after all of it Omega did in a sense obtain a soul from Gamma's body. Data and news footage have shown Omega making remarks or 'enjoying' his work along with him presenting a sense of pride around people and almost considering then less than himself. Most would call it being obnoxious, but Metal called it impossibility.

"You have failed to obey orders I will now decommission you." stated Metal blandly through his guise of non-sentience before he quickly released Omega's hands and punched him right in the chest with a clang.

The sudden attack caused Omega to stumble backwards a bit before regaining his balance and simply staring back at Metal. There was a moment of silence before a synthetic laugh seemed to exit the robot's vocal speakers. The sight of the large bot laughing went against everything Metal knew thus far since he never thought it was possible for robots to ever purvey such advanced emotions audibly.

"You are fast I will admit, but Metal I am built for warfare," said Omega as he slammed his hand against his metal chest with a clang. "You are built to fight one person only." stated the walking arsenal before his hands withdrew into their shells to form large rotating machine gun barrels along with two miniature rockets in each hole. Omega's chest also hissed open to reveal even more machine guns while his large shoulders opened up to become two missile batteries.

"You have no hope of defeating me."


End file.
